When I first heard about the Dale Earnhardt documentary, simply titled Earnhardt I was interested in watching it but not sure I would.
I am (or at least was) a huge fan of NASCAR. I grew up watching NASCAR with my dad. It was his favorite sport and he passed it along to me. His favorite driver was Dale Earnhardt. Like any kid who liked his dad’s favorite team I liked Earnhardt too.
When a young upstart named Jeff Gordon showed up a the scene in the early 90s I gravitated toward him in the #24 car. It made for a good rivalry between me and my dad.
One thing we did every year was watch the Daytona 500 together. When I moved out, I’d watch the race and talk with him about it the next day.
I remember talking with my dad the day after Earnhardt died at Daytona. He was emotional and saddened by his death in a way I hadn’t expected.
NASCAR and Earnhardt was more than a common sport for dad. It was his passion and Earnhardt meant a lot to him.
Now I said I was a huge NASCAR fan. I haven’t watched a race since the year my dad died. Dad passed away three days before the Daytona 500 in 2022.
That Sunday, I sat in my dad’s house, alone, drinking one of his beers and watched the Daytona 500. I can’t tell you who won the race. My mind was wondering, thinking about past races and memories shared with dad.
Which brings me back to the Earnhardt documentary and my decision to watch it or not. I know my dad would have watched it. So I did too and I’m glad I did.
Earnhardt is a four-part documentary airing on Amazon Prime. Each episode is about an hour long and covers Earnhardt life and legacy from start to the very end.
Every NASCAR and Earnhardt fan knows how the story ends. But not everyone, including me, knows how it begins. I thought the Father’s Day weekend would be a good time to sit down and watch the documentary.
The show opens with Earnhardt climbing into his #3 Goodwrench Chevy while voice-over interviewers ask him questions. The footage then goes to Earnhardt racing and crashing and flipping through the air. After the opening credits we see an old interview with Earnhardt and the documentary begins with his early days of racing.
Seeing Earnhardt drive the Blue and Yellow Wrangler car brought back great memories of watching NASCAR in the late 70s and early 80s.
The first episode highlights Earnhardt’s quick rise with a Rookie of the Year start, followed by a sophomore season Winston Cup Championship. They also focus on his brash personality and aggressive driving style. The documentary interviews several of his driving peers, none more than Darrell Waltrip. During Earnhardt’s early success Waltrip was a top driver, 2-time Winston Cup Champion and fierce rival.
Waltrip is interviewed throughout the documentary and it’s unclear, at least to me, if Waltrip actually likes Earnhardt. There is certainly some animosity left over, I think Waltrip respects him as a driver and Champion but not as an individual.
The lack of real friendships is the focus of the second episode. Earnhardt had one true racing friend, Neil Bonnett. The two of them were racing rivals and off-track friends. The episode builds on their friendship through the celebrations and tragedies. It’s a fantastic and emotional episode that offers a glimpse into Earnhardt’s personality that isn’t well known.
As much as the documentary is about Earnhardt Sr. it is also about Earnhardt Jr. Throughout the documentary the Earnhardt kids are interviewed and offering their insight into the racing legend and the man they call dad. It’s not always a pretty picture either. There are years of hurt and regret still unresolved and will never be resolved.
The third episode shows Dale Jr.’s entrance into racing, as well as his sister Kelly and brother Kerry, and the relationship between Earnhardt and his kids. Earnhardt didn’t give the kids any help or money to start racing. It wasn’t until a conversation with a lifelong friend, who offered Earnhardt advice about his kids and their racing, that changed Earnhardt’s perspective and he helped his kids.
The final episode builds up to the Daytona 500 in 2001. It’s another emotional episode for everyone involved including the viewing audience. However, the episode doesn’t end in tragedy. Instead, they masterfully craft the months after Earnhardt’s death into triumph for Dale Jr., the racing team and some closure for friends and family.
What the documentary doesn’t cover is Earnhardt’s wife Teresa and her treatment of the Dale Jr. and the rest of the kids after Earnhardt’s death. During the documentary there are hints that Teresa never enjoyed the role of stepmother to Dale Jr. and Kelly. And her treatment of them after Earnhardt’s death is nothing short of disgusting.
The relationship between Teresa and Dale Jr. was so bad he stopped driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc and started his own racing team. At one point Teresa sued Kerry Earnhardt for using the Earnhardt name! I know my dad had nothing nice to say about her.
The documentary doesn’t go into those aspects and maybe it’s for the best. It’s a bit of a dark cloud over the Earnhardt legacy.
Overall Earnhardt is a fantastic documentary. It’s required viewing for every NASCAR fan and every Earnhardt fan, Sr. or Jr. If you were in the ‘Anyone but Earnhardt’ camp, it’s also a must-watch. There is plenty of old racing footage for every NASCAR fan to enjoy. The interviews with family, friends and rivals deepens the insight in Earnhardt’s life and what drove him.
Earnhardt isn’t only a look at the good side of Dale Earnhardt’s life. It shows him as he was, an imperfect man, an imperfect father and one hell of a race car driver. I highly recommend you sit down and watch Earnhardt, you won’t be disappointed.
Earnhardt is streaming on Amazon Prime.
Have you watched Earnhardt? Share your comments below.
You can share your thoughts on X too. The main Retro Network channel is @TRNSocial and I’m @MileHighSamurai You can also find me on Bluesky @MileHighSamurai
Great article Gary. Ive been meaning to watch it, and now I know I have to!